Skip to main content

Isabella in William Shakespeare’s “Measure for Measure”: Paragon of Virtue or Despicable Pride?


At varying times Isabella in William Shakespeare’s "Measure for Measure" has been seen as a marvelous symbol of virginal purity, and an utterly distasteful and self-righteous prude. The problem is that while it is theologically correct for her to value her immortal soul more highly than her brother’s life, it is also distasteful, and an audience might prefer her to take a decision that was theologically and morally wrong, but more admirable in human terms, namely to sacrifice her body for her brother’s survival. 
William Shakespeare
Perhaps Shakespeare’s audience would have been more familiar than a modern audience with ‘the idea that no good can come out of evil, and Angelo confirms this when he says he will not release Claudia even if Isabella does submit to him, thus perhaps justifying Isabella’s early decision not to submit. A Jacobean audience would have had a more vivid concept of hellfire and damnation (which is what Isabella risks if she submits to Angelo), and would value the whole concept of honour more than a modern audience. However, it is dangerous to rely too heavily on assumptions about the Jacobean audience: being dead, they have the too-convenient attribute of not being able to argue with any features ascribed to them. Even if Isabella’s decision is the right one, the play suffers drastically if she alienates the audience’s sympathy.

Much of the problem can be resolved by the actress. If she plays the confrontation with Angelo in terms of icy certainty she is liable to lose the audience’s sympathy; if she plays it as a girl in a helpless and hopeless flight from defilement, someone convulsed by desperation, loneliness, and revulsion, then her decision not to give in to Angelo can be seen as springing from uncontrollable aversion, something for which an audience can feel sympathy, and which increases their desire to see an end to the tyranny of Angelo’s rule. Claudio and Isabella are essentially in the same position. Both are alone, helpless, threatened, and fearful, and in both this leads to selfishness. At the start of the play, part of Isabella’s apparent sanctity Is In fact selfishness, just as part of Angelo’s morality is hypocrisy. Both characters have to change and acquire self-knowledge, with more difficulty than the corresponding characters in the comedies, but without the death and destruction that accompanies the acquisition of self-knowledge in the tragedies.

One problem that is less easily answered is the change that appears to come over Isabella mid-way through the play, when she seems to hand responsibility for her actions over to the Duke and lose much of her individuality and at the end of the play when she rather surprisingly agrees to marry the Duke.

Ardhendu De

Labels

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Drop any query, suggestion or comment here.

Other Fat Writing

Popular posts from this blog

Dr. West’s New Method of Teaching English :Its Merits and Demerits

                 D r. Michael Philip West (1888–1973) conducted an extensive research and experiments on the problems of teaching English as a foreign language in India at the time of British rule . Read More Teaching English The new method is the outcome of his research. It stood as a reaction against the Direct Method. Going into more details, when Dr. West came to visit rural Bengal students (1913- 19) en route teaching job at Teachers’ Training College  at Dhaka, West's conclusions about English learning issues in Bengal, India were as follows: 👉Students spent about 10 hours a week on English study with extremely poor results. 👉Only a minority reached the Matriculation class due to health or financial reasons. Read More  Teaching English 👉Even in the Matriculation class, students lacked real reading ability, speaking fluency, and writing proficiency in English. 👉A 1919 Calcutta University...
6 comments
Read more

Dr. Samuel Johnson's "Preface to Shakespeare": Points to Remember

E ighteenth-century writer Samuel Johnson ((1709-1784) is one of the most significant figures in English literature. His fame is due in part to a widely read biography of him, written by his friend James Boswell and published in 1791. Although probably best known for compiling his celebrated dictionary, Johnson was an extremely prolific writer who worked in a variety of fields and forms. Chief Critical Approaches of Dr. Johnson are: Johnson tried teaching and later organized a school in Lichfield. His educational ventures were not successful, however, although one of his students, David Garrick, later famous as an actor, became a lifelong friend.
40 comments
Read more

Kinds of Poetry: Narrative, Lyric, and Dramatic

Introduction: Poetry is a form of literary expression that has captivated readers and listeners for centuries. It allows poets to convey their thoughts, emotions, and experiences in a condensed and artistic manner. While there are countless poetic forms and styles, poetry can be broadly categorized into three main kinds: Narrative, Lyric, and Dramatic. Each of these kinds has distinct characteristics, purposes, and examples that showcase the rich diversity within the world of poetry. Kinds of poetry :  There are three great kinds of poetic writing: Narrative, Lyric, and Dramatic. Narrative poetry: Narrative poetry tells a story with a plot, characters, and a setting. It  is one of the oldest and most straightforward forms of poetry. It tells a story, often in a chronological sequence, using poetic devices to create a vivid and engaging narrative. Some key points about narrative poetry include: Storytelling: Narrative poetry focuses on storytelling, using poetic language to c...
1 comment
Read more